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«Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast» T oday the first Friday of Lent, having experienced the fasting and abstinence of Ash Wednesday, we have attempted to offer our fasting and the prayer of the Holy Rosary, for the Peace, that our World needs so badly. We are willing to take care of this Lenten exercise, our Church, Mother and Teacher, is asking us to abide by, and to remember it was the same Lord who said: «Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast» (Mt 9:15). We have the desire to experience it, not just as the fulfillment of an obligation which is mandatory for us, but —most of all— as the possibility to find the spirit which will let us live this Lenten practice while helping us in our spiritual improvement. By seeking this deep feeling, we can ask ourselves: which is the true fasting? Already, prophet Isaiah, in today's first reading, tells us which is the fasting God appreci...

LENT DAY 2- REFLECTION «If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me» Today is the first Thursday of Lent. The ashes our Church laid yesterday on our forehead are still fresh; and are meant to remind us of a forty days journey. In the Gospel, Jesus, shows us two routes: the way of the cross he must undergo, and our own way to follow him. His path is the Way of the Cross and that of death, but also that of His Glory: «The Son of Man must suffer many things (...), and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. » (Lk 9:22). The route we must take is, essentially, the same one Jesus took, and He shows us how to follow it: «If any man would come after Me...» (Lk 9:23). Hugging his Cross, Jesus complied with the Will of His Father; as for us, carrying ours on our shoulders, we follow him in his Way of the Cross. The path of Jesus is summarized in three words: suffering...

LENT DAY 1 -ASH WEDNESDAY «Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people» T oday we start our itinerary towards Easter, and the Gospel reminds us of the fundamental Christian duties, not only as a preparation for the liturgical time, but also as a preparation for the Eternal Easter: «Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven» (Mt 6:1). The righteousness Jesus speaks about is made up of our living according to the evangelic convictions, without forgetting that «unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven» (Mt 5:20). Righteousness leads us to love, expressed through our charity and mercy: «If you give something (…), do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing» (Mt 6:2). It does not mean that good deeds should be concealed, but we ought not to think of human praise when doing them, nor...

What was actually inside the Ark of the Covenant? About one year after The Exodus of the Israelites, where they were delivered from slavery and began their journey to the Promised Land, they came upon Mount Sinai. Moses went up the mountain and stayed with God for forty days and forty nights. When he returned from the mountain to see the Israelites, he had with him the Ten Commandments. However, the Ten Commandments was not all that God had given to Moses on the mountain. On the mountain, he also received instructions on how to have his laborers construct the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22). What actually was inside the Ark of the Covenant? The Bible has sparse information on the exact contents of the Ark of the Covenant. In the Book of Hebrews, we learn it contains three items: the rod of Aaron, a jar of Manna, and the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Whenever the Ark of the Covenant was moved, it was always well concealed under the veil of l...

WHY ARE CATHOLIC PRIESTS NOT ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED? Save for the permanent diaconate, a vow of clerical celibacy is mandated for all newly ordained priests and clergy members within the Catholic Church. However, this was not always the case. For the first thousand or so years of Catholicism, priests would commonly marry and have children. The first pope himself, Saint Peter, was married and most likely had children, and many who came after him also had children. Last March, Pope Francis interviewed for the German magazine Die Zeit suggested that the Church may return to its early tradition by examining exceptions for married priests in isolated areas without clerical leadership. How did the priestly vow of celibacy evolve to be such an ingrained part of Catholic tradition? There are many reasons why priests practice celibacy. The Code of Canon Law has to say that “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and there...

WAR AGAINST EUTHANASIA   {AN EXCERPT BY IGONO ABEL RAPHAEL} WHAT IS EUTHANASIA? Euthanasia is the termination of a very sick person's life in order to relieve them of their suffering.A person who undergoes euthanasia usually has an incurable condition. But there are other instances where some people want their life to be ended. In many cases, it is carried out at the person's request but there are times when they may be too ill and the decision is made by relatives, medics or, in some instances, the courts. The term is derived from the Greek word  euthanatos  which means easy death. The issue has been at the centre of very heated debates for many years and is surrounded by religious, ethical and practical considerations. THE ETHICS OF EUTHANASIA Euthanasia raises a number of agonizing moral dilemmas: ·          is it ever right to end the life of a t...

EDUCA TION: A  JONAH IN  THE  BELLY OF  SOCIAL  MEDIA  It is  no  doubt  that  the  reading  habits  of  our  youths  have  been  drastically  washed  down  the  drain as  a  result  of  the  emergence  of  technology  and  the  birth  of  social  media.  Reading  as  we  know  is an  essential  factor  that  forms  the  foundations  of  greatness  in  everyone’s  life  irrespective  of status,  gender  and  age.  One  is  helped  by  it  to  develop  strategically  and  it  is  of  great  importance when  trying  to  pass  an  examination. The  introduction  of  phones,  computers,...